Friend of the Outsider
by GreyWhiteWolf
Summary: Corvo wasn't the only 'friend' the Outsider had. On the island of Serkonos, the Outsider chooses another friend to bestow gifts upon. What will he ask in return and will his new friend live to complete the task? (Takes place before and during the game. OC Characters. This is a rewrite because I was unhappy with the original version. Somewhat same plot. Old version now deleted).
1. Prologue - Visitor at the Shrine

Prologue – Visitor at the Shrine

Standing over a large pot, the elderly woman named Vera Moray murmured, talking to herself. The locals were afraid of her or just avoided her. They say if you enter her home you can hear her talking to the spirits and that she would curse you and your family. Everyone called her Granny Rags rather than Vera. No one really knew her name and the nickname stuck to her.

Of course that was all fiction, or at least most of it was. Just outside of Granny Rag's home a shrine glowed brightly, the sound of chimes and whispers grew louder around the shrine.

The shrine consisted of a small wooden stool with large purple curtains branching off of it, making the appearance of a large flower. On the curtain's golden flowery print etched on it. Two thin boards protruded from the stool upwards in a V shape. A brown cloth covered the stool barely taking up half of it, and feathers and rocks sat on top of it. A circular bone called a rune sat on the very top with the symbol of the Outsider scratched into it. Black smoke and sparks came out of the rune floating on top of it. A few lanterns sat on the ground around the shrine, lighting it up.

Granny Rags came her way to the shrine listening to the whispers guiding her. Through her old age, blindness overtook her eyes and her, once blonde, hair had turned gray with was wrapped in a large bun on the top of her head. A golden clip held her hair on the right side of her head. Her bangs slipped out of her bun and rested on her left cheek.

She felt around the walls of the small alley to make her way to the shrine. The whispers coming from the shrine had silenced and the silence surrounded her. The air became cold and a figure hovered over the shrine with his arms crossed.

"Vera Moray," the figure said, "A once known aristocrat, now a homeless blind woman. I taught you black magic and in return you grew mad with power and killed your husband. Now, you are feared among locals under the name of Granny Rags.

"It is now the time I call on you for help. Listen well, Vera. A young girl will come to you in 3 years. Her name is Vorona. Today is her sixteenth birthday and the day she and I will meet. This shall be the beginning of my relationship with her and the last of ours. Today marks the last day you and I shall ever meet again. You will aid and help her in any way you can. In return, I shall grant you peace. This is your only chance Vera. Listen to my words well."

With those words said, the figure turned and left in a mist of black smoke. Granny Rags turned and picked up a rat by her feet. She stroked the creature in her hands and walked back inside the abandoned building she called home. "Well, birdie, it appears we will have a visitor soon," she said to the rat.

* * *

On the island of Serkonos, far from the shores of Gristol, a young girl with pitch black hair lied down on her mattress for a bed. Some of the springs stuck out and the girl knew how to position her body at a weird angle to avoid them. It was old and musty, but it served its purpose. She had a pillow, which was really a cotton bag with newspaper shoved inside it and an itchy blanket.

Vorona had lived under these conditions ever since she was a child. She was luckier than most. Despite what people thought, in the heart of Serkonos, it was filled with thieves, whores and merchants. Any person with half a brain knew not to venture too far into the island, where Vorona lived. That's right. She lived right in the middle of the awful place in the middle of all its glory.

Rich diplomats would come and visit the islands vast beaches but Vorona paid no attention to the beaches. She would only be looked down upon. Her raggedy clothes and hair would not fit in with those people. The beaches were full of nice hotels and fine people and shops. But it was all a façade. While the bell boy helped people with luggage he would steal the patron's wallet. Serkonos was never a safe place no matter how posh on the outside it seemed.

She fit in here, but she never felt like she did. One look at her and people would say "yup. That's a Serkonos kid. Born and raised." But Vorona didn't feel like she belonged here or anywhere. It was an odd sensation for her. Everyone seemed to know their place and did what they wanted when they wanted. Vorona was different. In more ways than one it seemed.

Vorona lived in the attic of the building, The Black Cat. It was a "house of pleasure" where men with fat wallets came in and left with large grins and empty pockets. It was the sister establishment to the one in Gristol called the Golden Cat. The Golden Cat was much nicer from what Vorona heard, but she didn't believe it. The brothel that she called home was an old building with wallpaper peeling off the walls and some of the windows were cracked or boarded up.

No one cared what the building looked like, only what happened on the inside. Today was the fifteenth day of the Month of Rain and that meant that the brothel was closed. Vorona loved today because she usually got the day off, but as she grew older that day turned out to not be so pleasant. Now, while the rest of the brothel went out and enjoyed their day off she was left with all the house work.

When she was little, Vorona was left on the doorstep of the brothel alone. The Madame took her in and allowed her to stay as long as she didn't cause trouble and worked. The child learned how to pickpocket the patrons while they were there and she taught herself to climb and to sneak into the rooms to steal for the brothel.

Vorona brought in enough money to allow her stay there. She earned just as much as the courtesans did, and it made the Madame very happy. The Black Cat, that was what the brothel was called, was owned by a man named Mr. Blackwood. He was kind enough as long as you didn't get on his bad side and the Madame managed the rest. He would come in from time to time, but didn't stay long. He just came to collect his share in their profits and would leave.

Vorona was jerked out of her thoughts when a screech pierced through the building and a voice rang out "VOORRROOONNNAAAA!"

Vorona sighed as she got up. It seemed her work day would start now. She straightened up her clothes. Her clothes were short and a bit tight, but they covered all of her parts and she even had a pair of warn flat shoes that fit her somewhat.

Vorona pulled her long black hair in a bun on the top of her head and stared down at her hands. They were covered with fingerless glove, concealing the mark that lay beneath. Thinking about it sent shivers up Vorona's spine and ripped her gaze from her hand. She walked out her door down the old creaky staircase to find Silivia in the main foyer.

The woman in her mid-thirties was pissed. Her hands were on her hips and her heeled foot tapped annoyed onto the hardwood floor. Patience wasn't in this woman's dictionary and it shown on her features. Her make-up was done today meaning she was going to be leaving soon. Her attire was one that was normal for a brothel girl.

The brunette finally turned to her with her face in a scowl, "Where have you been!? I have been calling you for ages. Clean up this mess!" She waved her hand at where a vase fell onto the floor. The shards were scattered all over the floor.

"It was those stinking rats running around! I told Blackwood to take care of those ugly creatures!" Silvia said stomping back to her room. Her corset and her short skirt showed off her legs along with a lot of cleavage.

Silvia was the best 'hostess' of the Black Cat. She got the most clients because she was the most flexible and knew what most of the politicians liked. She also hated Vorona the first time she came to the Black Cat. Vorona was always treated a bit better with clothing and got more because she was young. Vorona was only about 16 and more than her.

Vorona sighed and went to the closet to get a broom. She swiped up the glass and put it in the garbage bin outside the Black Cat. A shard fell out of the bag and she picked it up to put it in the bin. The piece cut her hand slicing her palm. Blood seeped out and Vorona cried out in slight pain. No matter what anyone said, it hurt. She threw it in the trash and wrapped it up with a piece of her sleeve.

She was about to go back inside through the back door but then saw Diana. Diana had short hair that went just below her jaw. She was smoking outside leaning against the wall with her heeled boot propped up behind her on the wall.

Diana caught sight of her and smirked, "Hey V." Diana thought Vorona's name was too much and just called her V. Diana's makeup on her eyes were dark with a line smeared down her cheek. She just wore her sleeveless greenish grey bra and her extremely short lace skirt that didn't even cover her panties all the way. Vorona got a clear view of the tattoo on her right thigh which was a plant like design with thorns. The mid-thigh high stocking she wore were ripped like the other girl's in the black cat.

Vorona walked up to her and leaned on the wall next to her, "Hey D. You should really stop all that smoking. It makes your clothes smell bad."

Diana scoffed, "I'm sure it does but it smells better than in there." She said nodding to the door. The Black Cat did smell awful in there. Perfume and cigar smoke permeated through the entire building. The air wasn't so good outside either. The streets were littered with trash and bums and rats ran around everywhere.

Diana got these weird cigarettes that had different flavors. It smelled good and a lot better than anything around here. But an old shoe would smell better than most around the area.

"What happened to your hand squirt?" D asked.

Vorona looked down at her hand and shrugged, "Silvia dropped a vase and a piece cut my hand." Diana was about the same age as Silvia but Diana was a lot wiser although she hid it with her sarcasm.

"Clean that up before you get something. Come on, I'll help ya," Diana dropped her cigarette and smashed it under her leather boot.

Vorona followed Diana to the kitchen where she ordered her to sit in a chair. Vorona crossed her arms and said defiantly, "I can take care of myself you know."

Diana scoffed and said sarcastically, "Sure you can, V." Diana rolled her eyes and brought over a bottle of alcohol and a bowl full of water.

Diana peeled off the bandage she had on and looked at it shaking her head, "It seems like every day you get some sort of cut or bruise." She tapped the top of Vorona's head with her hand, "Do I need to put you in a bubble or something," she teased.

"Just clean it up," Vorona groaned.

"Sure thing, sugar," Diana wiped away the blood and washed it with some alcohol. She took a clean bandage and placed it on her hand, "You are lucky you don't need stiches."

Vorona sighed and said, "Can I tell you something?" Vorona shifted in her seat her eyes on her bandaged hand. She was nervous and needed to get if off her chest.

Diana shrugged and said, "Sure. What's on your mind?" Diana leaned back in her seat with her arms crossed over her chest.

Vorona looked up at Diana and asked, "Who's the Outsider?"

Diana bit her bottom lip her eyes full of concern. She shook it away and asked nonchalantly, "Why do you want to know?"

Vorona laughed weakly and said, "I think he's my new friend."

_**Author's Note: This is a rewrite of my story. I deleted it and started over. Not much has changed in this chapter, but a lot will change in the chapters that follow. For new readers (and all readers) Thank you for reading my story and I hope you enjoyed it as much as I had writing it. :) **_


	2. Chapter 1 - Gift from a Friend

Chapter 1 – Gift of the Outsider

Diana was just an average woman who lived in the heart of Serkonos. You either worked or got married to survive, and in some occasions both. Her mother was the first courtesan to get pregnant at the Black Cat and it terrified the managers.

Her father was a customer there and once he found out, he drove most of the business away with the tale of the pregnant prostitute. The managers put out a new policy sterilizing all the girls unless they didn't want a job anymore. So, when Diana became of an appropriate age she was hired by the Black Cat and sterilized.

In a way, Vorona was Diana's own daughter. She was actually more like a sister because of the small age difference, but Diana looked out for her. Now, Vorona was asking questions she wasn't prepared or ready for. Diana wanted to desperately tell her all she knew, but it was too soon to tell. Diana couldn't talk to Vorona about it until she knew how much Vorona knew. It could all just be a bad dream and Diana wouldn't have anything to worry about….Or maybe this dream was a reality?

Looking at the girl now, Diana saw clearly all the signs of stress and anxiety in Vorona. Dark circles were under her eyes and made her eyes appear to sink into her head. Her hair was slightly disheveled without being washed for a few days. Her clothes were askew but she didn't seem to mind like she usually did. How long had it been since Vorona ate something and got a good night's sleep? It was Diana's job to make sure of that although she was never formally assigned the job.

When Vorona got older, she needed Diana less and less. Diana still checked on her once and a while, but Vorona became independent quick. Now, Vorona needed Diana now more than ever. She just had to focus. Taking a deep breath Diana said, "I don't understand, V. What do you mean he is your new friend?"

"It's complicated…..What do you know about him?" Vorona said. Diana noticed how her voice was weak and her eyes were glazed staring down at her hands.

Diana bit her lip. She didn't want to tell Vorona anything she didn't know, so she had to find out first what she did know. "V, just tell me what's going on. I probably don't know more about him that you do."

"I don't even know where to start," Vorona said shaking her head. She took both of her hands and gripped the sides of her head making a noise between a choke and a laugh, "I'm going insane."

Diana glared at her and said, "Look at me."

When Vorona didn't, Diana grabbed her chin and looked at her sternly, "You are not insane. You are just going through something….Just tell me what's going on V."

A tear escaped Vorona's eye and she said, "I'm scared, Diana."

Diana let go of her chin and smoothed her hair with her hand, "It's gonna be okay. Just tell me what's going on."

Taking a few deep breaths Vorona began her story.

_ Mr. Blackwood, the owner of the Black Cat, had an issue with a customer who grew up a debt and wasn't making his payments. Vorona grew in ranging abilities as she grew older. She could scale a building with her bare hands and she could move without making a single noise. When Mr. Blackwood found out about Vorona's talents, he hired her to do a simple job for her._

_ The customer who he had an issue with was named, William Jackson. All Mr. Blackwood wanted her to do was sneak a letter into his bedroom window when he was out. So that was what Vorona did. It was the month of rain and Vorona needed the extra money to buy a jacket. Besides how hard could it be? All she had to do was deliver a letter and leave without being noticed. It was a piece of cake….or so she thought. _

_ Vorona roamed the streets in the night. It didn't matter if she took the main roads or the alleys. They were all equally dangerous. When she finally found the building, it was a five story complex that had a balcony on the third floor where William's bedroom was. She looked around and climbed onto closed trash bin nearby. _

_From there, Vorona was able to run up the building and grab the edge of the second story window. She looked around and jumped up to the third story balcony gripping the edge of the floor. Climbing up with some difficulty she finally got herself on the balcony. She smirked with victory but made a note to practice more if Mr. Blackwood sent her on other little tasks. _

_She kneeled in front of the door looking through the key hole. She had been waiting on the adjacent building roof for William to leave and when he did, she made her way. Making sure that no one was in his bedroom, she pulled out a picklock to unlock the door. After a little bit of jiggling it, the door swung open. _

_Glancing around the room, she noticed that William had a bit of money, but not a lot. He had a nice apartment that looked like a mansion compared to the slums of Serkonos. She found his dresser quickly and left the note there where he would find it when he arrived home. Leaving the way she came, she smiled walking back to her home in the Black Cat. She just made easy money. She would finally have a jacket for the harsher seasons. _

_The dark skies rained down drenching the few clothes Vorona had on. She picked up her pace slapping her feet against the roads. She was only about a mile away from the Black Cat. She ran on the main road glancing all around her. The Black Cat wasn't the safest place to be, but it was a lot safer than her current position._

_As she was running she heard a second pair of feet running behind her. At first she dismissed it as someone who was trying to find shelter, but after she took a precautionary turn, she still heard the person behind her. They were running the same pace as her, just following Vorona. It unnerved her a bit so she ducked into a few alleyways and made some harsh turns to escape her pursuer. She took a turn and glanced behind her and smiled. She lost him. She looked back to where she was running and went wide eyed. She had hit a dead end and was about to hit straight into the wall. _

_The wall in front of her had a large oval circle on it that seemed to swirl. It was just about the size of Vorona but she ignored it because she thought it was just street art. She slammed on her feet to stop her momentum before she hit the wall, but she tripped on her own feet and went crashing not into the wall, but _through_ it. _

_Vorona's body went through the wall and she slammed face first into the ground. She groaned shaking her head. A constant noise rang in her ears and her vision blurred for a moment. Her body felt odd, like she was lit on fire and shoved into a tub full of ice at the same time. Her bones ached and her hands stung. _

_Glancing up, Vorona was met with a light grey blue sky and a….whale. She stared directly above her and there swimming in the sky…was a whale. What the fuck? Vorona thought. The last thing she remembered was hitting a wall. Was this a dream? She thought. _

_Of course, she reasoned. Whales don't fly in the sky. She tilted her head to the side and said, "Since when do I dream of flying whales?"_

_Vorona got up on her feet and looked around her surroundings in awe. There seemed to be no floor or ceiling. No land or ground or water. It was simply…void. She was floating, if you could call it that, in the void on a small piece of ground that looked like its own island. The ground looked like a piece of the street as if it were scooped up and planted in the void. Ahead of her, there were other similar islands made up of the ground. _

_She turned around and saw the same brick wall with the swirling oval on it. She poked it testing it out, but her hand was met with just wall. She growled in annoyance and decided to just move forward. This was a dream after all. It didn't matter what she did, she would wake up soon enough and forget this whole thing. _

_With her back facing the wall, Vorona decided to go to the next little 'island'. What the hell is this place? Vorona thought. It was unlike anything she had ever seen before in one of her dreams. The air was calm but felt like it held an electric charge that made her wide awake and more aware of everything around her. _

_After jumping from island to island she finally reached a dead end. The final island had a little table on it with large purple curtains spreading out of it and curving like a flower with the table as its center. It reminded Vorona of an altar and wondered why it was there. She warily approached the table. Her body seemed to be pulled and pushed away from the object lying on the table at the same time. She wanted to pick it up and hold it, but her mind screamed at her not to as if it would burn if she touched it._

_Ignoring her own consciousness for a minute, she picked up the object from the table. It was circular and white. It appeared as if it was made out of…bone. How strange. It had an odd symbol sketched onto it along and the corner of it was cracked. Four leather buckles were attached to each corner. She looked down at her own clothes and latched the object on her belt. She didn't know what to think of it. She was running purely on instinct and gut feeling. Right now, all she wanted was the bone in her possession and with her. _

_All of a sudden, a purple mist erupted around her circling her feet. The mist rose and surrounded the small altar. Blinking multiple times, Vorona's vision blurred and she felt a strange ache in her head. The next moment the mist was clear and Vorona was suddenly aware of the presence in front of her. _

_Floating above the altar in midair was a figure that had a pale face and wore a brown leather jacket with the color popped up and worn dark blue pants that were tucked inside by black knee high leather boots. Vorona could not tell the color of his eyes only that they were dark and old. Dark hair sprouted from the top of his head and was short with short bangs on his forehead. _

_His arms were crossed in front of his chest and his legs bent slightly at his knees. He didn't appear threating but it held superiority and of power. _

_His appearance looked as if he was in his late twenties, but Vorona knew it couldn't be true. Black smoke seemed to escape out of him and floated behind him. His appearance was young, but his aura told a different story. The air became cold around them and a feeling of darkness seeped into Vorona's bones as she looked at him._

_He seemed to be calculating her reaction to him, but he didn't show anything else. The figure spoke after a moment and said, "Hello, Vorona. You were born this day 16 years ago from parents that are dead and forgotten. Brought up by the women of the brothel, the Black Cat, you have acquired many skills over these past years."_

_He uncrossed his arms and moved his head while he spoke, "When you are dead and gone, no one will remember you, but one. Your destiny is a great one. I am the Outsider and this is my mark."_

_Her hand began glowing and a tattoo like mark appeared on her hand. It was circular with lines protruding from it like spikes. In the center was a dot. It reminded her of a target with spikes with circles and shards in it. Vorona looked down at her belt and realized that the same marking was on the bone attached to her hip. _

"_There are forces in the world and beyond the world, great forces that men call magic, and now these forces will serve your will," he spread out his arms and seemed to almost smile as he said, "Consider it a gift." The next instant he vanished from thin air. _

_Vorona's vision went black and then she regained consciousness. Her mind whirled and her head ached. Groaning she blinked a few times and looked at her surroundings. She was sitting upright in a chair with her hands tied to arm rests and her feet to the front legs of the chair. Her torso had multiple ropes around it tying it to the back of the chair. All Vorona could think was "What just happened? Where am I? What the hell is going on?" _

_Vorona knew that it was just a dream that she just had, but when she looked down at her hand….there it was. The Outsiders Mark. Now she really wanted to know what was going on. _


	3. Chapter 2 - Outsider Buddies

Chapter 2 – Outsider Buddies

"Wait. Wait. Wait," Diana said shaking her head.

"What?" Vorona asked confused why she interrupted her.

"You mean to tell me that you, not only broke into a man's house, you were then followed, and then you fell through a wall, met the Outsider in a dream and then kidnapped?"

"Basically…You know I'm not done yet," Vorona said.

"Are you fucking kidding me? There's more?" Diana groaned.

"Yep," Vorona said smiling, "Now back to the story."

"_About time you woke up," a masculine voice echoed off the walls. _

_Vorona looked around but she couldn't see anything. The room she was in was completely dark except a light that shone above her head, but it only illuminated her and nothing else in the room. Checking the shadows for any movement, Vorona called, "Who's there?" Her voice was not as strong as she wanted it to be and she couldn't help but cringe at her own weakness._

"_We saw you snooping around Will Jackson's place. What were you doing there?" the voice snarled._

_Vorona felt exhausted and she groaned saying, "I don't know what you're talking about."_

_She felt a hand slap across her face. She quickly snapped her head up trying to find the person who slapped her. In front of her stood a man who was tall with his hands clenched at his side. He had short black hair that was choppy and was wearing a green shirt with black pants and suspenders, "I'll ask you again, bitch, tell me what you were doing there."_

_The man in front of her was obviously a mercenary that was hired to guard Will's house. She cursed herself for being so reckless. He obviously caught her and had looked all over for her. He must have been paid a lot for all the trouble he went through to find her. _

"_Fuck…you…." She rasped. _

_Anger ignited in the man's eyes and he pulled out a knife. In one smooth move, he plunged it into her thigh and twisted. The sound of Vorona's screams vibrated off of the walls. He screamed at her, "TELL ME WHAT YOU HAVE DONE!"_

_Vorona smirked; this man had no idea that she just left a letter. Apparently his boss was totally paranoid and would go after anyone near his home. But her capturer didn't just do this for money…no….her eyes widened by her revelation. There was too much joy in his voice. He found enjoyment in torturing her, but he hated her resistance. His question was answered with only silence. He raised his fist and connected it with the side of her face. Darkness surrounded Vorona's vision, and she fell into unconsciousness again. _

_A few hours later…_

_Vorona's capturer, who she found out was named Stephen, had beaten, cursed and harmed her in every way imaginable. He got mad how she kept fainting, so he shoved her in a tub full of water, face first. She woke up screaming for air. He questioned her when he pulled her up for air; she refused to tell him anything. So he shoved her back in the water for a few minutes. _

_When Stephen grew tired of that, he proceeded to break her bones. He started with her fingers, moving up to her wrists. The pain was excruciating, but she just spat in his face every time. _

_She wondered why she wasn't telling him anything. She had nothing to lose. That wasn't necessarily true. If she told her capturer about Mr. Blackwood, Mr. Blackwood would have thrown her out on the streets. That was if she survived this experience even with cooperation. It was merely a question if she was going to die now or later. She didn't know what was worse, so she found it simple to just remain quite. _

_This was the worst experience of her life. She just wanted to die, that was how much pain she was in. No one came. She thought that the Grand Guard might come because of all the commotion, but she realized they must have been in a section of the city they didn't control. _

_The Grand Guard was a group of men hired by the Duke of Serkonos, to protect Serkonos and the people. The papers loved the duke for setting them up, but they never realized that the duke didn't actually control all of Serkonos. At best, he controlled maybe half of it, but that was only the edges of the main island, where tourism flourished. He didn't control the heart, where it was run by gang members, or the islands surrounding Serkonos, where pirates resided. _

_The sound of a door opening and closing silently jerked Vorona from her thoughts. Her heart began to beat wildly afraid of the new beating she would receive. _

_Her head jerked around her breathing became ragged. She was tied to her chair again and she felt something tugging on her binds behind her back. _

"_It's going to be alright. I'll get you out of here," the voice said again except coming right behind her._

"_Who are you?" she rasped. The voice was masculine and deep. It wasn't Stephens and she felt like she could trust him. _

"_A friend. I can answer your questions later, but only until we are out of here first," he said, his tone held an air of finality. Vorona was too exhausted to disagree so she went along with it. _

_The binds around her wrists became loose and Vorona let her hands hang by her sides. Pain shot through her hands and she sat there numb while the strange man moved to the front of her and cut the binds on one of her feet. _

_Mustering up as much strength as she could, she lifted her head to look at the stranger. His head was bent downwards as he was working on the other foot binds. Judging by his build, he looked about thirty, but that was a guess at best. He wore a mask that had no nose or mouth. It covered his entire face but only had two eye holes. It was made of what looked like smooth black metal material. _

_Once he got the ropes off of her feet, he looked up and saw her staring. He gave a weak smile under his mask and said, "Come on lets go." _

"_Who….are….you?" she asked weakly. She glared at him. Just because he freed her from her binds, didn't make him a friend. She didn't trust him completely. _

_He stood up to full height and said, "You can call me Whaler." He bent forward and held out his arms, "May I?" he asked. She answered with a harsher glare and he sighed, "You are in no condition to be walking and moving around. So unless you intend to crawl on your broken hands, I suggest you let me help you. _

_After a few moments, she nodded tiredly. She just wanted to get as far as she could from here. Whaler picked her up and carried her in his arms. She was thin for a Serkonos girl and he could barely feel her weight in her arms. As he carried Vorona out of the warehouse she rasped, "Where… are….. we….. going?"_

"_My place. I can't exactly return you to the Black Cat looking like this. I have some elixirs that help you," he replied. _

_The darkness overtook Vorona again and she fell asleep in his arms. Hours passed before Vorona finally woke. Her head pounded and her whole body ached. Vorona swung her legs over the edge of the grey couch and looked around. The room she was in had dark blue walls with black horizontal strips. Across from her, there was another identical couch facing her with a black coffee table with a gold edge in between them. _

_To her left was a fireplace that was lit, crackling and the light scent of burning wood permeated the air. Behind her was a pathway and window into the kitchen. In front of her on the wall were two doors several feet apart, one black and one white. To her right she saw the front door of the apartment. _

_She had never seen an odder looking place in all of Serkonos. It looked too….clean and new. She hardly believed her eyes. Maybe she was in one of the hotel rooms near the beaches? Where was she?_

_She got up and ran towards the front door. She ached all over, but her hands felt as if they were never broken. She pulled on the doorknob, but it didn't budge. She huffed in frustration. Of course the door was locked. Walking back to the couch she sat down unsure of what to do with herself. Her stress level was to the max and she didn't even know how she was feeling as good as she was. Sure she still felt like shit, but she should have been feeling a lot worse with all the pain she endured. _

_The front door swung open and Whaler came in sporting his mask as usual. Now that she had a better light she could see him more clearly. He wore black pants and a grey jacket that had a wide high collar with buckles slanted on his shoulder. He had shaggy blonde hair and he had a light skin tone for a Serkonos citizen. In his arms, he carried a large bag. _

"_Hey, sleepy. I wasn't expecting you to be up for at least 24 more hours," Whaler said moving into the kitchen with the bag._

_Vorona got up and followed him into the kitchen, "Where am I?" She crossed her arms over her chest glaring at Whaler. _

_He kept his eyes on the bag opening it as he said, "Karnaca. It's where I live…well one of the places."_

_Vorona stare wide eyed with her mouth agape, "Karnaca? But….that's so far away…"_

_Whaler nodded, "Yes it is, but I could not treat in your condition at the Black Cat."_

_It took a minute for all the information to sink in, "So…you are the one who healed my hand?"_

_Whaler nodded, "You should take better care of that thing." He smirked, "You know you might need it."_

_Vorona rolled her eyes and looked at the bag, "What's in there?"_

_Whaler opened the bag all the way and pulled out some clothes. "Just a few things I picked up. Here," he said handing her a set of clothes, "Use the bathroom at the end of the hall to freshen up and change. We have a lot to talk about and I'm sure you would like a shower first."_

_Vorona nodded trying to hide her excitement. She didn't even think there were showers in Serkonos. It was practically a myth. She was after all in one of the richest places in all the Isles. She went down the hallway and opened the last door revealing a large tiled bathroom. It had checkered floors with a sink, toilet and bathtub with a shower head above it. On the rim of the bathtub were shampoos and soaps Vorona didn't recognized but she liked the smell of it. _

_After peeling off her clothes, Vorona stepped into the shower. Her body ached under the hot water. Her cuts looked almost healed and her fingers and wrists were no longer broken. Didn't he say that he healed her with elixirs? What elixirs? Vorona leaned her head against the wall of the shower. She was totally fucked. Miles away from home, with a stranger, after being kidnapped and tortured, Vorona could not have a worse couple of day. _

_Vorona didn't know whether to cry or laugh. She finally decided to use some of the soaps to clean up and wash her hair. She hadn't felt this clean in well…ever. _

_The clothes Whaler got for her fit her perfectly. She never had clothes that were her actual size. They were always hand downs much less this nice. She was given a plain navy blue short-sleeve shirt and black light cargo shorts. She even got a new bra and underwear. She really didn't want to know how Whaler knew her measurements, but it was so nice and soft she could almost not care._

_She walked out of the bathroom. Her feet padding against the hardwood floor. Her damp hair swung back and forth behind her. Whaler was sitting at the kitchen island eating a Tyvian pear. She had never seen his face before. He had blue eyes that made him seem incredibly peculiar to Serkonos. He had a handsome face, but he had a long scar along his right cheek. _

_He looked up and smiled, "The clothes suit you. You really shouldn't be wearing what you were during this time of the year."_

_She nodded and sat across from him. She picked up a pear and picked at it, "What am I doing here?"_

_He gave a small laugh, "Healing of course. But I suppose that isn't the answer you were looking for."_

_She looked at him in the eye, "Why did you save me?"_

_He gave a long sigh and said, "I haven't exactly told you the whole truth. I am a friend of the Outsider. He contacted me that you might be in trouble so I came and rescued you. I have known the Outsider a very long time…I usually help whoever needs it although, you are the first to carry his mark." Whaler pointed down at her gloveless hand. _

_She wished she had her gloves on but they were ruined and somewhere else. She looked up at him and asked, "How do you know the Outsider?"_

_He shrugged, "That is a tale for another day. Look, the Outsider has a plan for you. If he contacted me, he wants me to more than just save you."_

"_What does he want from me?" Vorona asked. _

"_My guess….he wants me to train you," he said smiling, "So you up for it?"_

_Vorona bit her lip in contemplation. Should she? What would the Outsider need to train for her to do? Vorona looked up with confidence she didn't believe she had and said, "Yes."_


End file.
